Budapest Régiségei 36. (2002) – In memoriam Rózsa Kalicz-Schreiber (1929-2001)

Vörös István: Sacrificial cattle remains from the early bronze age settlement at Soroksár = Korabronzkori szarvasmarha áldozatok maradványai Soroksáron 247-255

ISTVÁN VÖRÖS pelvis (diam. acet. 58 mm). The short, arched, thick horn core is of the brachyceros type. The remains of this animal were over and around the skull of cattle 2/2. 2/4 cattle: approx. 1-1,5 years old (inf.) bull calf, 9 pieces of bone limbs: right side fore leg (d. hum-rad/ulna-c-mc-ph.L-II.). The distal epiphyses of the humerus and the metacarpus and the proximal epiphyses of the phalangi are not ossified yet. The remains of this animal were found over the skull of cattle 2/2 and to the west of it (Fig.l). 2/5 cattle: 5-6 month old calf, 22 pieces head: skull (crushed), the horn core is small, compact and porous; the dentition contains dpl-3; trunk: cervical vertebrae (6 pieces), lumbar vertebrae (9 pieces with separate corpus and arches!) In the SE corner of the pit, the skull without mandible was found in vertical position with the vertebral column connected to it in western direction. 2/6 cattle: not yet fully grown (subadult.) ox, 38 pieces head: the head edge of the skull with the horn core, right side maxilla, trunk: 7cervical vertebrae, connected and 9 dorsal vertebrae; limbs: both side fore legs (s.-d. hum-rad/ulna, s. c-mc-ph. I.), right side pelvis (diameter of acet. 65 mm), parts of right side hind leg (s. tip-astg.) The frontal part of the skull is narrow, domed. The frontal ridge is wavy with two peaks.

6 The flat, thin horn cores turn forward. After the dimensions and form of the horn cores the skull represented a head type of mixed primigenius-brachyceros character. The skull (without maxillae) was in the NE third of the pit, the arched vertebral column parts were located to the west of it. The ribs were detached from the vertebrae approx. at 10-15 cm from their proximal end. From the row of ribs, only 3 were collected. On both sides of the cranial articular surface of the atlas a deep V-shaped incision was found which was formed when it was detached from the skull. The left side fore leg was found in the middle of the pit in W-E direction over and beside the lumbar bone and pelvis of cattle 2/1, with a bent mc (Fig.l). Among the long bones, the proximal epiphysis of the hum.-ulna and the distal epiphysis of the radius were not ossified yet. 2/7 cattle: not yet fully grown (subadult.) cow, 13 pieces limbs: parts of both side fore legs (d. hum-rad/ulna-c-mc-ph.I.-IL, s. mc.) The right side fore leg was under the skull of cattle 2/1 and over the remains of the calf 2/5 in W-E direction (Fig. 1). Other animals There were 11 pieces of sheep bone remains (3 pairs of mandible, 2 rad. (juv-ad.), mc.fr

., s-d. tib.; fragment of right side facial skull of pig with M3, length 37 mm; lower canine tooth of a dog and the frontal edge part of an antler hoe made of red deer antler. Pit No. 3. (diameter: 160 x 175 cm, depth: 235 cm) 3/1-3 cattle - 3 oxen of different age, 37 pieces head: parts of 3 skulls and 2 pair of mandibles; trunk: 2 cervical, 1 dorsal and 3 lumbar vertebrae,sacrum I. fr.; limbs: parts of two side fore legs (s. scapula, s.-d-rad/ulna, d. mc), left side pelvis, two side hind legs (s. fem-tib-t-mt, d. tib-astg-mt). On the ventral surface of the lumbar bone, oblique cut-marks could be observed. The dist. end of the right side mc. shows signs of carving. Among the 3 cattle individuals, one is an approx. 1,5 year old calf (cattle 3/1). with dpl-3 Ml, another 3 years old subadultus (cattle 3/2) and one adultus (ad.) ox. This latter was in the central part of the pit, in depth of 120-130 cm beside the skeleton of a dog. Other animals There were 3 individuals of sheep (rad/ulna, tib), 7 pigs (facial skull fr., 2 s. corp. mandibulae belonging to a subad. male and a maturus female, hum., 2 fern (belonging to inf. subad.) and an astragalus. This latter bone belongs to a male pig, the wither height calculated from the length

7 is 86 cm! There was also a medium size radius prox. fragment of a horse found here. An incomplete skeleton of an adultus male dog was also found in the pit, comprising 32 pieces of bone. The left side cavity of the brain case and the occipital part was split and broken open. The right side lower and upper F2 teeth are missing, the alveolus is closed. The dog belongs to the large size Bronze Age form called Canis familiáris marris optimae (Jeitteles 1877). The withers height of this dog, calculated

8 was 54,8 cm. The bone finds comprised also a shaft-hole antler hoe and a bone awl. Pit No. 4a. (diameter: 150 x 135 cm, depth:260 cm) 4a/l-3 cattle - 3 individuals of different age, 29 pieces head: 3 left side mandibles (s. mandibula fr.); trunk: fragments of 2 cervical and 2 dorsal vertebrae; limbs: parts of 4 fore legs, two left side ones (s. scapula-hum-rad/ulna-mc, s. rad.-mc), two right side ones (d. rad-mc, d. mc), parts of three hind legs (s. fem-tib, 3 d. mt. 1 ph.IL). The cattle remains belong to an approximately 2 years old female calf (cattle 4a/1, juv) and two adultus oxen (ad., cattle 4a/2-3). Other animals There were bones of 5 adultus sheep here (pair of mandibles, d. mandb. fr., s. scapula, tib. fr.), 1 juvenile pig (represented by hum. diaph.) and an adultus dog (s. mandibula, with P2 grown cross-wise). 7 on the basis of TEICHERT 1969. 8 on the basis of KOUDELKA 1886. « BOKONYi 1984. fig. 2. 248